The 5th annual Bring Your Dog To Work Day, which took place last Friday, captured the imagination of the country as thousands joined in the annual fun day out for dogs with organisations from all over the UK getting involved to raise funds for All Dog's Matter and other animal welfare charities.

The event kicked off at HOWND's local fire station where the HOWND and the All Dog's Matter team (including HOWND's hard-working office dogs Laila and Roxy) got to meet the local crew.  Throughout the day there was record breaking engagement across all sectors, with many pet care brands joining in the fun, putting on their own events and getting involved.

Bring Your Dog To Work Day achieved an incredible social reach across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, reaching an incredible combined total of 3,238,224 engagements across the three social media platforms.

The hashtag #BringYourDogToWorkDay trended once again on Twitter, with high profile household names joining in the fun, including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Disney UK, ITV News, Fever-Tree Queens Tennis, Lily's Kitchen, the National Trust, BBC television and radio stations posting pictures of their dogs at work, and others including celebrities such as Ricky Gervais. 

Press coverage was incredible with over 100 TV, radio and press outlets including the BBC, ITV, Daily Mail, The Telegraph, Huffington Post and more.

There were many entries for the ‘Dog with a Job' Hall of Fame to win over £1000 worth of prizes from the official sponsors, and there are some gorgeous photos uploaded onto the site - the winner will be announced next week.

Jo Amit, co-Founder of the multi-award winning pet care brand HOWND, says: "Bring Your Dog To Work Day grows each year and this year was the biggest since we started in in 2014.  Thousands of pounds have been raised for charity between ourselves and businesses that took part. We've already started planning for next year with some exciting plans in the pipeline!"

The organisers are grateful to all the business sponsors especially in the pet industry for coming on board and supporting the campaign: Buddies - Legal & General, Pet Remedy, Arden Grange, Fish 4 Dogs, Burns Pet Nutrition, Vet in the City, Natural Instinct, Vets 4 Pets, Phytopet, Oscar & Hooch, Pet Base, Henry Schein Care, Ruff & Tumble, Flexi, Trophy Pet Foods, Nature's Menu, Tails.com, Gentle, Dog Buddy, Vitalin, Scruffs, Lintbells, Frontline, Photizo, Cotswolds Raw, Lily's Kitchen, Dog Robes, Henry Schein Animal Health, Armstrong Richardson, Bear Bones, Mikki, Hi Life, Webbox, The Officer Dog, Butternut Box, Almo Nature, Nylabone, Barking Mad, Canine Cottages, Aquarium, Doggy Cafe, Doggy Cuppa, Woof Advisor, Hubble & Hattie, Fetch, Scrumbles.

Radio Systems PetSafe Europe Ltd – owner of PetSafe Brand - is one of the top three places to work in Europe.

The company ranked third in the 2018 Great Place to Work Best Workplaces in Europe awards – beating its 2017 ranking by six places.

The accolade from the esteemed Great Place to Work group follows on from RSPEL achieving 1st place in the Best Workplaces in Ireland 2018 list in February where 100 per cent of employees voted the company a great place to work.

Specialising in innovative companion pet and sport and hunting products, RSPEL offers comprehensive pet training, health and wellness, waste management and play product solutions through its leading PetSafe® Brand, and superior training and tracking products for professional trainers and hunters via its global SportDOG Brand.

Since it first opened in Dundalk in 2012, business has flourished for RSPEL, growing by 25 per cent over the last three years and headcount has risen by 50 per cent.  In the last year, RSPEL has built on its projects to foster great working practices and inspire and motivate its team.  The company has introduced new programmes such as ‘Creative Thinking’ and ‘Office Improvement’ and established a bi-annual ‘Fantastic Five’ award initiative.  Categories include ‘Einstein Idea’ which recognises great creativity and ‘Iron Man/Woman’ which offers those with 12 months’ full attendance an extra three days of annual leave.

RSPEL has also introduced policies to help encourage better work/life balance, offering employees both flexi-time and working from home. It is also focused on employee wellness, having appointed a Wellness Champion who runs a programme that includes a plant-filled wellness room, regular talks from external motivational speakers, wellness breaks and voluntary annual employee health check-ups.

On top of more traditional perks, as a pet-centric business RSPEL also offers perks to ensure employees have great relationships with their pet. These include being allowed to bring dogs into the office, eight hours’ ‘paw-rental’ leave to help new pets settle and three days’ paid pet bereavement leave. Additionally, RSPEL helps to cover the cost of pet care, including microchipping, insurance and health check-ups.

A key part of the RSPEL culture is giving back to the local community. As well as nurturing employees’ pets, RSPEL gives back to animals in the community and has an annual budget dedicated to supporting animal-related charities, including Dundalk Dog Rescue (DDR). The business has also recently formed a partnership with the charity RehabCare to help develop disadvantaged adults who have fewer employment opportunities.

David Verdon, General Manager at RSPEL said: “We’re delighted to have been recognised as a Great Place to Work® in Europe for the second year running and to rank in third place is a great achievement, especially given entries have increased 40 per cent on last year. None of this would have been possible without our fantastic Dundalk team who continue to demonstrate daily commitment and passion for our brand – this award is theirs.  Over the coming months our focus will be to continue business growth and ensuring we continue to foster the best possible work environment for our staff and an excellent experience for our customers.”

Great Place to Work’s CEO, Michael Bush added: “The organisations on this year’s Best Workplaces in Europe list represent forward-thinking cultures that cultivate inclusion for all. They understand that employees are people first and foremost and provide them with environments where they can be themselves, build strong bonds, and thrive with their peers.”

The Best Workplaces in Europe is the largest annual survey in the region and this year 2,800 companies across Europe participated, 800 more than last year.  The unique awards recognise organisations that are dedicated to sustaining high-trust cultures for their employees and winners are decided by evaluating employee and management feedback on areas including trust, culture and policies.

HayPigs has been successful in reaching the finals of the SME National Business Awards in the Best New Business category.

Reaching the finals of these national awards is fitting recognition for the hard work, enterprise and endeavour shown by husband and wife team, Rik and Helen Cridland and their team of small furries, the HayPigs!

"We're obviously over the moon to have reached the finals," explains Helen.

"What is particularly pleasing is that we are up against businesses outside of our sector, so we are flying the flag for the pet trade! We are just crossing our fingers and paws now that we can go all the way and scoop the top prize!"

The awards final takes place at Wembley Stadium on Friday 7th December 2018 and, whatever the result, HayPigs! will have plenty to celebrate after a stellar first year.

There’s a lot of positivity around at Vital this month as the company announces some major successes and further investment in the business.

It follows excellent results from PATS Sandown where the company signed up many new customers and had delegates queueing out the door to join them in the Vital Grandstand where there were some exclusive promotions on offer.

Transport will benefit from a significant £1.5 million investment in a new environmentally-friendly fleet with the final decision on vehicles expected to be made in the next few weeks. The delivery process will be supported by new technology, including a new Warehouse Management System which is about to go live and will streamline the day to day processes, from goods in through to dispatch, to allow thousands of products to be processed and re-ordered and improve efficiency.

A new modern office facility in Sheffield opened at the start of this month. Newly refurbished, this site will allow Vital to showcase products and services and will be the venue for all supplier visits going forwards.

The new regional service and support team structure is in place and up to a full complement of staff, under the management of Senior Customer Relationship Manager, Darren Porter and providing dedicated support for the growing numbers of independent retailers switching to Vital. Two new divisions will be going into operation to service the needs of key accounts and online retailers, which have been identified as having different needs. The dedicated teams are focused on delivering the products, promotions and service retailers need and this is a big step forwards which will ensure individuals receive a more tailored offer that really matches their requirements.

New products in the Mayfield range are in development to add to those recently revitalised with competitive pricing.

Director Sunny Sharma says there is a new energy to the business and excitement about what Vital can do for its customers, “There isn’t an area of the business where we haven’t made improvements – we have looked at everything and asked ‘can we do this better’. That’s meant big changes like a wide ranging recruitment programme to bring more great people into the business and investments in new technology, as well as small changes in the warehouse so our fastest moving lines are easiest to access. We’ve talked to hundreds of suppliers and retailers to find out what they want and need and established some really positive relationships.”

He continued, “We really haven’t been afraid to make the bold decisions that make this business not just fit for purpose but fit for the future of the pet trade.”

Suppliers to the pet trade have also been building strong relationships with the new Vital. Jonathan Collins at Burgess reports that the company has noticed improvements at every level of the business, “We’re enjoying working with some highly motivated, professional people and have benefited from new opportunities to bring our products to the attention of retailers at events like PATS as part of the Vital Grandstand showcase. Delivering strong promotions at win-win prices that work for everyone in the supply chain has been a real focus and will benefit the trade enormously.”

Lewis Copse of Nestle Purina says his experience backs this up, “We’ve been really impressed by the results delivered by the new technology that Vital has introduced – it’s really expanded their capabilities and is opening up some exciting opportunities to turn around products quickly and efficiently.”

Davie Hirst of Outward Hounds says that it’s been very happy with the support provided by Vital – the exclusive distributor for the products in the UK, “It’s been a really good decision for us and really rewarding to see retailers and consumers get excited over our novel training toys and accessories.”

The new approach extends to building strong external relations and Vital has also sponsored Beth’s Dog Show (www.bethsdogshow.co.uk) which runs events to support The Sarah Kitchener Perrow Fund (Brain Tumour Charity) and German Shepherd Rescue South. The dog shows were set up by one of Vital’s lead drivers who lost his cousin Sarah to a brain tumour in 2010 and wanted some good to come of this tragic event. The company will also run to a Family Fun day in July at North Tawton, near its national distribution depot, to say thank you to the local community for its support.

Rounding off a highly successful few months, both Directors Sunny and Ravi Sharma have also been short listed as finalists in the Institute of Directors Yorks & NE Director of the Year Awards.

To find out more about Vital visit www.vitalpetproducts.co.uk or telephone 01837 883000.

Webbox has made their first steps to using 100% recyclable packaging by changing the trays used for their bestselling 400g retort trays.

The popular pet food brand, along with sub-brand Webbox Natural, will be replacing the black polypropylene trays used for their wet dog food trays with white polypropylene trays.

On average over 3 million black trays are used by the pet food brand per year and steps to remove them have already taken place, with all black trays being replaced by the recyclable white trays later in the year.

Tony Raeburn, CEO of Pets Choice, brand owner of Webbox, commented: “Plastic waste is a worldwide concern and we recognise that urgent action is required by all businesses to change existing packaging and find improved solutions that are recyclable or reusable.”

“While technology is constantly evolving and the recycling of black plastic could improve, we have made this change to ensure that the trays we use are recycled. We expect to see the replacement of the black trays in production in the coming month”.

For further information on Pets Choice, please visit www.petschoice.co.uk.

Loving Pets Australia is the newest expansion to the already successful European and American brand. Owners and directors, Malcolm Hall and George Patience, have teamed up with Eric Abbey, President and Founder of Loving Pets Corp, and Jonathon Moyce, Managing Director of Loving Pets Europe, to create this exciting venture into the Australian and Asian markets.
 
Malcolm, already a professional in the importing and wholesaling industry, jumped at the chance to be a part of this growing company when an opportunity arrived by the way of his friendship with Jonathon Moyce (Loving Pets Europe) and particularly Jon’s father Colin.

“Colin and I have been friends for a very long time and I have known John since he was 18 months old," said Malcolm.

 
Malcolm added: "My background is off road motorbikes where I have competed at the highest level, taking part in the World Championships in Italy at the ripe old age of 19 and coming away with a Gold medal. After retiring at an even older age of 20 I went into the business of importing and distribution of off road motorbikes in Australia, so I am no stranger to the importing/wholesaling industry and this experience will no doubt be a great asset in this new and exciting world of Loving Pets Australia & Asia."
 
George Patience has many years business experience running businesses both here in Australia as well as living in Hong Kong & Singapore for some years. This will give him some great insight into the Asian market and their pet industry.
 
Loving Pets has invested millions of dollars in research, machinery and technology in a relentless pursuit to keep their company moving forward as an industry leader. Loving Pets manufactures treats in the USA to ensure the highest quality control and standard.
 
Loving Pets Australia is already a member of the Pet Industry Association of Australia (PIAA) and has recently been involved in exhibiting at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida, as well as Interzoo at Nuremberg, Germany.

Staff at leading pet food manufacturer, Pets Choice Ltd, gathered the treats, filled up the water bowls and dug out the toy box for some very furry visitors last week, as they took part in Bring Your Dog to Work Day.

Bring Your Dog To Work Day is an annual nationwide event that raises money for charities dedicated to making a difference to the welfare of dogs.

A first for the business, staff members brought along their four-legged friends to the Blackburn based offices, for a day of petting, playing and walks.

Julie Butcher, head of marketing, said: “Bring Your Dog to Work Day has been something we wanted to take part in for a while and the growth of the business in recent years meant that we could really make a day of it.”

“Everyone at Pets Choice is a pet lover and we now have several staff members with dogs, who could bring them along. We had a fantastic day with 15 furry visitors in the office and we raised £170  for the charity, All Dogs Matter.”

While the day may have been lots of fun, work continued as usual with the dogs even lending a helping paw.

Zoe Hardaker, product manager, commented: “We had mini-trials set up in our office with our pets getting to try out the latest toys and treats. They even caught the first glimpse of our 2018 Festive range, which of course when down a storm!”

For further information on Pets Choice, please visit www.petschoice.co.uk.

Heights Farm Premium Pets Foods, a family-run business based in the North of England, is set to expand its Greater Manchester operations as 37 year old Peter Roberts, who is originally from Bromley Cross in Lancashire, sets up a new franchise business start-up in the area.

Peter will be delivering a range of super premium pet food and treats door to door to cat and dog owners. 

His round will cover Worsley, Swinton, Eccles, Salford, Urmston, Lowton, Leigh, Atherton, Tyldsley and surrounding areas. This is the fourth new franchise operation for Heights Farm Premium Pet Foods since January of this year.

Previously Peter had worked for 21 years as an engineer in the food manufacturing sector working for companies such as Nestle, Kelloggs and Dr Oetker where he progressed to the position of engineering manager. His change of career was driven by a desire to run his own business and to spend more time with his dogs, Alfie  a 13  year old Jack Russell, Victor a 6 year old Shih Tzu cross Bichon Frise, Nelly a 9 month old Staffordshire Bull Terrier and finally Bruce a 23 week old puppy, a Malamute cross Chow Chow.

Peter says: “After spending so long working in a manufacturing environment I really needed a change in career - something to reignite my drive and ambition. My love outside of work is my dogs so finding a way of earning while spending as much time with them as possible is perfect for me.

"Taking up the franchise with Heights Farm Premium Pet Foods allows me to work for myself, be my own boss while working with my dogs at my side. All my dogs are fed on Heights Farm Premium Pet Food, they all enjoy the selection of treats and chews and I know that I am feeding them the best diet that I can.

"I am hoping to build a successful business while enjoying meeting like minded people who I can help by supplying healthy products which will help keep their beloved pets active & happy. “

Stephen Ward, founder and owner of Heights Farm Premium Pet Foods set up the company in response to his own experience of the pet food industry when his Douge De Bordeaux Mastiff, Milo started to develop a number of allergies which started to make his life very tough. Despite being put on a prescription diet by the vet and taking a course of steroid tablets, the vet bills started to mount and Milo’s itchy skin condition continued once he stopped taking the tablets. Prolonged use of steroids could also have had serious side effects such as liver and kidney damage and it was only after switching to a salmon- based hypoallergenic dry food that many of Milo's symptoms started to clear up.

 “For the first time Milo was actually happy, his patchy coat had started to heal and the redness had almost gone. Stool quality was also greatly improved.  It turned out that Milo was in fact wheat and wheat gluten intolerant.

“It was at this point that we felt our dog had been almost held in a state of disrepair. We contacted the veterinary practice explaining that the root cause of Milo’s condition was the wheat- based food that they had been supplying us. Every meal consumed was a trigger and the steroid was then the expensive sticking plaster that never actually fixed anything.

“This experience got us thinking how many more pets and pet owners had been in the same situation as ourselves?

“Poor Milo relied on us for his health and wellbeing and we had been passively making things a whole lot worse through misguidance at considerable expense.

“So after lots and lots of research and investment we decided to come up with the most amazing hypoallergenic blend of complete dry food that would in effect be a health food for dogs and cats with a very special and clinically proven ingredient-Green-Lipped Mussel. The extruded kibble is exposed to a steam process that gives a honeycomb texture inside, aiding digestion. The complementary natural ingredients such as Kale, Carrots & Peas, Yucca, Rosemary, Seaweed etc. also complete this natural dry food.

“Trials were carried out and the samples went down a storm. In May 2009 we took the brave step to establish our very own premium pet food company named after our family home Heights Farm Premium Pet Foods. The product range starts from puppy through to adult with proteins such as Chicken, Lamb and Salmon.

"We believe that if your animal benefits from the Green-Lipped Mussel daily you build an excellent bone and joint structure that will support your animal well throughout all life stages. There is no need for a senior type of product although we do offer our Dietary+Plus food which is great for maintaining/losing weight. Our products come in 2kg and 15kg sacks and are very keenly priced within the premium graded equivalents.”

Heights Farm has enjoyed steady and consistent growth through word of mouth. The model is based on a very personal one to one service, with unique products, not available on the high street, at a keen price and giving outstanding customer care levels, with a convenient delivered to the door service. Heights Farm Premium Pet Foods supply nationally with a next day delivery service and internationally within 2-3 days delivered by their courier network and offer free delivery within Bolton Blackburn, Chorley, Halifax and Preston areas from their fully liveried and kitted out Ford Transits.

Heights Farm offers sample packs will allow pet owners to try before they buy. These are available from Peter.

If you are interested in feeding your pet with one of the many food choices and treats Heights Farm Premium Pet Foods have to offer then give Peter a call on 07497 815 003 or email peter@heightsfarmpetfoods.co.uk and he will happily deliver your food choice straight to your door.

For further information on setting up your franchise please visit the Heights Farm Premium Pet Foods website: www.heightsfarmpetfoods.co.uk 

Tel:  01204 322755  Fax 07768 746119 Email enquiries@heightsfarmpetfoods.co.uk

Construction has started on the new Loving Pets warehouse and offices. The new site is located in Rye Harbour, East Sussex.
 
Jonathon Moyce, Managing Director, comments: “The new site will allow us to continue with our rapid European growth plans and meet demand on our current product range. Loving Pets UK has seen growth of no less than 300% every year with no sign of slowing down, so this has come at a great time.
 
"Our catalogue can now expand to be more in-line with our US partners (Loving Pets Corp). We can bring in more USA made All Natural Treats along with new innovative designs on feeding bowls and accessories, including our new purpose made travel bowl “Bella Roma” which we will be launching at PATS Telford"

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Pet shop owner Kevin Shaw is being forced to close his business in Forest Gate, East London, because of regeneration work in the area.

Kevin, the owner of Smallholders Pet, Garden and Aquatic Centre in Woodgrange Road, said the closure was a result of the area being gentrified.

“A lot of the buildings are getting turned into flats,” he told the Newham Recorder.

The shop opened in 1948 and Kevin took it over 19 years ago, having worked there after school and on Saturdays since he was a teenager. When he left school at 15, he began working there full time.

He told the Recorder he has three months left before he goes for good.

Kevin announced the closure on the shop’s Facebook page and customers admitted they were sad at the news.

He said: “With rent being so expensive now, I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford another shop around here – it might have to be closer to where I live, in Essex.”

The full Newham Recorder story can be read by clicking here

Paul Hollywood, ice-cream-vans, the theme tune to Coronation Street and pizza delivery men have emerged among a list of common phobias – for the nation’s pets.

According to a new poll of British pet owners - nearly half (48 percent) of dogs and cats in the UK suffer from some sort of fear or anxiety - with more than one in four claiming their pet is terrified of the vacuum cleaner.

Over one in five (22 percent) said their pet refuses to be left alone in the house and one in ten saying they will not venture into the outside if it is raining.

Spiders, babies and even feather dusters are also the nemesis of the UK’s furry friends.

The extent of anguish felt by the nation’s cats and dogs was revealed in the study of 1,000 pet owners – with dogs emerging as the most likely pet to be afraid.

Forty-one percent of respondents said their pet’s fears were so bizarre they had become a talking point among their family and friends.

The most common reaction to a fear is to bark (33 percent), but a timid 29 percent of animals go and hide.

Tin foil was also listed as a genuine anxiety for many of our four-legged friends, as was the vet, being kept on a lead and the stairs.

The poll by Ceva, Animal Health found 14 percent of animals tend to howl when they have an irrational fear, but for an unfortunate 30 percent of owners, their dog or cat will poo or pee on the carpet.

Over a third of the animal-owners surveyed, said they were genuinely worried about their pet’s behaviour and 22 percent said it was causing stress within the household.

In fact, the average cat or dog owner said their life was affected by their pet’s behaviour as many as three times a week.

According to the research the best way to deal with their pet’s episodes is to try and calm them down by stroking them and 19 per cent will remove them from the situation.

A spokesman for Ceva said: “Some of the fears dogs and cats suffer from are fairly common – such as the stairs, the postman and being left alone.

“However, there is no valid explanation as to why the nation’s pets would take such a dislike to certain celebrities, theme tunes or TV programmes.

Andrew Fullerton, Technical Manager for Behaviour at Ceva Animal Health, said: “These results are really interesting and show a level of education is still needed in assessing, interpreting and understanding our pet’s behaviour and looking at solutions and products such as pheromone based sprays, diffusers and collars, that can help handle stressful situations and prevent unwanted behaviour.”

According to the study, 46 percent of pet owners said their animal had ruined their home with the carpet (49 percent), the sofa (43 percent) and wallpaper (23 percent) the most likely victims of a badly-behaved pet.

One in twenty said their pet has set them back over £1,000 as a result of the damage they have caused in the house.

TOP PHOBIAS OF THE NATION’S PETS

• Vacuum cleaners ​​​42 percent
• Fireworks ​​​​37 percent
• Thunder ​​​​28 percent
• The vets ​​​​24 percent
• Being left on their own ​​​22 percent
• The postman ​​​​14 percent
• Mail coming through the letterbox ​12 percent
• The car ​​​​​12 percent
• Sleeping by themselves ​​​11 percent
• Rain ​​​​​9 percent
• Babies/children ​​​7 percent
• Pizza delivery man ​​​7 percent
• Being on a lead ​​​​5 percent
• Tin foil ​​​​​5 percent
• Buses ​​​​​4 percent
• Spiders ​​​​​3 percent
• The stairs ​​​​3 percent
• Hats ​​​​​3 percent
• Feather dusters ​​​3 percent
• Ice-cream vans ​​​​2 percent
• The garden ​​​​2 percent
• Coronation Street theme tune ​​2 percent
• Paul Hollywood ​​​2 percent
• Grass ​​​​​2 percent

Award winning aquatics company Evolution Aqua has now added the Horticulture product line to its Kessil portfolio.

After four successful years distributing Kessil’s aquatic lights, the H80, A160, A360 and AP700, the range will now be expanded to include the H380 grow light and later this year, the brand new H160.

“Taking on Kessil’s grow lights makes perfect sense,” said Evolution Aqua’s Marketing Manager Jeremy Gay. “We already cater for aquatic plants and corals with Kessil’s other models, and have received many enquiries over the years about supply of the grow light range.”

“The H380 is perfect for terrestrial plants including everything from house plants and living walls to commercial horticulture, but at the same time has a cult following with marine enthusiasts as the best light for growing desirable macro algae in sumps.

“Now grow light fans can benefit from UK held stock with UK plugs, and fast, reliable service, and more people will be able to join and benefit from the Spectral Revolution.”

Features

Every H380 fixture contains two unique full-spectrum blends with UV light, and each spectrum caters specifically to a phase of plant growth, like vegetative growth, or bloom.

With more extreme spectrums comes even more power. The Spectral Halo II is nearly 30% more powerful than previous lights, allowing full potential growth with Kessil’s most powerful light yet.

Dense Matrix LED™ technology produces a concentrated single point light source with enough power to penetrate past the canopy and deliver light to the entire plant. Every wavelength within the spectrum is mixed perfectly to ensure even growth throughout

Price: £399.95 RRP

More info: evolutionaqua.com

A mortified dog owner claims her pooch’s jaw got STUCK in a toy – and had to be surgically removed for more than £350, reports the Stoke Sentinel.

Samantha Trofimowicz, aged 47, gave two-year-old cockapoo Moet a new £13.99 treat-dispensing toy she had purchased from Aldi.

To read the full report click here

LeisureGrow Products Ltd has acquired the business interests of Petface out of administration.

Key Petface personnel will be kept on by LeisureGrow Products Ltd, and the Petface brand will be run out of LeisureGrow Products Ltd’s head office in Hinxworth, Hertfordshire. Petface stock will be centralised in LeisureGrow’s distribution centre.

Jody Grimmer, Managing Director for LeisureGrow Products Ltd, said: “Our focus for the coming weeks and months will be to ensure existing Petface customers receive better service, good availability of stock, and reliable stock delivery – including weekly replenishment deliveries where required.

"We will be centralising stock to our LeisureGrow distribution centre and integrating key staff into our Hertfordshire headquarters. Going forwards Petface customers can expect the high standard of service and reliability that LeisureGrow is known for.

“We believe the Petface brand has great potential and this is an opportunity for LeisureGrow to make Petface a success.”

Part of LeisureGrow Holdings, the LeisureGrow Group commenced trading in 1999.

LeisureGrow is a privately owned, family-run British company whose brands include LG Outdoor furniture, Grillstream barbeques, Erin growing media, NOMA Christmas and NOMA Garden Art.

LeisureGrow’s UK customers include garden centres, multiples such as Wyevale Garden Centres, and department stores including John Lewis. It also supplies customers in Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Middle East.

www.leisuregrow.com

Natures Menu, which boasts the largest raw pet food factory in Europe, is set to double its £40m turnover over the next five years.

The Norfolk-based company began production at its £12.6m factory in Snetterton in October, with all staff moving over from former headquarters at Watton by the end of last year.

Managing director Craig Taylor told his local Eastern  Daily Press newspaper: “At Watton we were making today to deliver tomorrow. We chose this site because of the infrastructure and the location for logistics. Being on the A11 is a boost for us as a business that needs to get out of Norfolk.”

According to the newspaper, the total investment in the Snetterton site was more than £16m, once machinery and other infrastructure costs had been factored in. The workforce increased from 70 to 220.

Mr Taylor said the business will continue to reinvest in technology, education and brand awareness – in which cause alone it is investing £4.8m this year.

He added: “The pet food market is worth £2.8bn in the UK and is growing at 16% year-on-year. Our business has high double-digit growth and we want to continue to push those numbers.”

The full Eastern Daily Press report can be read by clicking here

Bestpets has announced the return of a well-loved favourite in to its range of specialist pet products.

James Wellbeloved for dogs, cats & ferrets will be available to buy from all Bestpets depots¹ and Bestpets online ordering from the beginning of July.

Over 170 James Wellbeloved lines will be available for retailers to purchase. The range includes wet & dry food for both cats and dogs, treats for dogs and a complete food range for ferrets.

Mike Bailey, Head of Sales for Bestpets says: "We’re delighted to welcome James Wellbeloved back to Bestpets. We’re committed to offering our customers the best range at the best possible prices.

"The return of such a popular, well know and trusted brand shows how we are helping our customers to build their businesses in a competitive market place and retain Bestpets’s position as the UK’s number one specialist pet wholesaler."

Adam Cookes, Sales Director for James Wellbeloved & Greenies, is equally as enthusiastic about the news. 

‘’We are pleased to confirm that from July, James Wellbeloved and Greenies product ranges will once again become available through Bestpets," says Adam.

"These changes are intended to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Specialist Pet Trade and the role of our brands in helping to drive your future category growth.’’ 

Further information about the specific lines available and other information will be available on the Bestpets website best-pets.co.uk early in July.

Customers wishing to buy James Wellbeloved from Bestpets should contact their local Bestpets depot or Regional Sales Development Manager.

Naturediet Pet Foods Ltd has appointed multinational packaging supplier Tetra Pak to provide the independent British dog food manufacturer with a revolutionary new packaging format.

Naturediet will be the first pet food manufacturer in the UK to install the Tetra Recart​ filling and packaging machine, and the third pet food manufacturer in Europe to specialise in this technology.

Transition to this innovative new packaging system will commence in the autumn with a planned release to market in October 2018. This will be in conjunction with a bold new look for the brand and an overhaul of their current wet food packaging design.

Head of Marketing Emily Cannon says: “The transition from plastic, sealed trays to Tetra Pak cartons will provide us with an unbelievable host of benefits for both the quality and presentation of our wet foods, to an overall reduction in our carbon footprint and environmental impact.”

Tetra Pak cartons are made of FSC certified paperboard, are recyclable and due to their square, light weight design, prove more efficient for transportation with 18% more packages fitting on a pallet, compared to cans.

“We are taking a very active approach to our responsibility as a manufacturer, and Tetra Pak was a clear choice for the business and our commitment to reduce waste and single use materials.”

Emily continues: “Naturediet needed a new packaging design and as part of the strategy to renovate the brand we not only wanted to create a new look for Naturediet but to provide consumers with an alternative packaging format in the natural wet food category. One that is aligned with the growing consumer demand for recyclability.

“Our new pack design is a fresh new beginning, to what has always been considered a very traditional brand. This will enable us to regain our presence on shelf and stand out in what is fast becoming a saturated market. However, we remain true to our honest labelling ethos and promotion of valid claims."

The developments in Naturediet’s manufacturing capabilities are driven by CEO Carol Orrow and Managing Director Daniel Masters, who are committed to continuous improvements and new technologies at their factory in Norfolk.

Carol asid: “Naturediet were innovators of the tray format and installed our first tray thermoformer for in line form, filling and sealing of our wet foods in retort stable packaging in 1990.

"The transition to Tetra Recart​ filling and packing is an immensely exciting time for the business. The investment in our new production line has also opened the doors to new product innovation and development, and we will be expanding our range offering over the course of the next 24 months."

Naturediet’s ‘Better Taste, Less Waste’ campaign will begin in the Autumn with the re-launched 390g core and grain free ranges on show at PATS Telford 2018.

For more information contact Naturediet at trade@naturediet.co.uk or on 01362 822320.